


Sunday

by ghikij



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 06:47:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15309738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghikij/pseuds/ghikij
Summary: Kaoru spends a day away from her little kittens in order to fulfill a promise to compose a melody for Hello, Happy World. She thinks about happiness; what it means to her and to other people, and how happiness can always be laced with some sweet sorrow.





	Sunday

Today was a perfect day. The clouds drifted lazily overhead like quiet aerial sailors without care or burdens. The sun lit the way, as it always did, with beams seemingly dragging the winds along in an invisible dance of warmth and energy. And the sky itself was so blue, so beautiful that even Aphrodite would envy its beauty. Around her the grass swayed and the garden plants’ leaves rustled in the gentle wind, caressed by the sun’s bright tendrils. 

Indeed it was the perfect day and it was so fleeting. 

Kaoru rarely had an open schedule like this as most of her time and efforts were focused on giving happiness to her little kittens, so much so that she could feel the slightest tugs of loneliness without them around. Even so, she cherished these moments of quiet for it allowed her miss them, her heart growing fonder in their absence. It made her want to see them again.

It was the closest thing to love that she has ever felt. 

Beyond the birdsongs and windchimes, she could hear her mother rummaging something or other inside the house, while her father was no doubt in his study--a sizeable library Kaoru had always enjoyed exploring-- reading or finishing his work. This left Kaoru to her own devices to actually get some guitar practice in. It was much to her regret that she could not put more hours into it due to other activities, since she actually enjoyed playing the instrument. She often wondered why she had not taken to playing guitar at a much younger age, especially since her father always had an acoustic guitar displayed in the study. 

The said guitar was currently on her lap as she sat under the large maple tree that provided shade near the corner of her home’s garden. It was an old thing. Its lacquer was tinted yellow from age, pickguard covered in shallow scratches, and minute dents decorated its back. In spite of all that, the guitar was pleasant enough to play and it had a gentle sound that contrasted greatly with its ragged appearance, a physical example of the great bard’s saying to not judge a book by its cover. 

Her fingers felt for the strings and its different thicknesses. It was the first thing you memorized when you play guitar and Kaoru had known them well by now. She strummed a chord and simply allowed the vibration to travel through her body, searching for the faintest sparks of inspiration. Hello, Happy World typically required her to play an electric guitar, arguably an easier instrument to physically deal with it, but at Misaki’s insistence, they were now delving into more classic type of music which sometimes called for Kaoru dabbing into unplugged instruments. She did not mind. After all, a princess’ wish was her command! 

However, composing music was never her forte. The written word agreed more with her, as it always did since she began understanding the plays and literature that lined her father’s study. Chisato’s venture into acting also contributed to that somewhat in the early days, Kaoru thinks. She remembered sitting down with her friend for many afternoons helping her memorize her lines when they were children. The mystical and rhythmic words, and the wonderful worlds they painted eventually seduced her into theatre too as she got older, like how the Pied Piper had lured innocents with his flute. And while music was indeed part of theatre, she did not quite grasp it the same way. 

Still, for her bandmates’ sake, Kaoru would try. If there was one thing she could not stand, it was letting her little kittens down, especially the ones who have become such an integral part of her life. She would never let Kokoro’s sunny brilliance dim even a shade, or Kanon’s beautiful smile to waver, or Hagumi’s warmth and passion to dull. And she would never allow Misaki’s faith in her be misplaced. If Michelle’s friend and agent relied on her so, Kaoru would deliver. She considered no other option. 

It was not easy. The notes simply did not connect and a melody just would not form at first. Misaki had told them to make samples, anything that she could use to compose HHW’s next song, so Kaoru tried recording whatever she came up with using her phone, but the music fought her every step of the way. Eventually, the endeavor became too much to bear and Kaoru was forced to stop and take a breather. Though frustrating, she had long accepted that failure was like an old friend, one who would visit often and teach her valuable lessons. Perhaps she was trying too hard, too fast all while going the wrong direction. 

Maybe she was approaching this all wrong. 

It was afternoon now. The sun was gentler though no less luminous in the sky, and her mother’s sunflowers have tilted their heads to follow it on its travels from east to west. 

“What would the great bard say, I wonder…” She murmured to herself as she shielded her eyes with a hand. She then hummed thoughtfully, thinking of her bandmates. “Happy, Lucky, Smile, Yay…” 

Rubbing her chin, Kaoru reminded herself of her band’s goal; to spread happiness and make everyone smile. But what was happiness? Many authors defined it in starkly different ways. Was it glee? Excitement? A revelation? Celebration? Love? Kaoru hugged the body her guitar and thought deeply about it. 

“What is happiness?”

There were times when she wished there was a book that could answer all these kinds of questions. 

“Arf! Arf!”

Kaoru scarcely had the time to react before a large ball of yellow fur eclipsed the sun on its way to tackle her into the ground. An inelegant yelp escaped her but at least she was able to hold her father’s guitar away from the dog’s vigorous greeting. Unfortunately, she was unable to save her face from being slathered by its tongue. Despite it all, laughter bubbled in her throat, knowing who her guest was. 

“Leon-kun! Fancy meeting you here just as I begin to wallow in the depths of my own shortcomings. It seems like even a prince such as I myself needs my own savior! Ah~ how fleeting~” She ruffled the dog’s soft fur and scratched it behind the ears, the same spot that she knew would make Leon adorably kick his left leg. 

A few moments later, the dog’s owner inevitably came, “Leon! Oh my gosh, Kaoru! Leon off!” 

Chuckling, Kaoru sat up after the dog gave her one last lick. “Good afternoon, Chisato. What brings you over to my humble abode, my princess?” 

Her longtime friend paused to catch her breath first before answering, “My mother asked me to bring another parcel for your mother. I thought I would walk Leon at the same time, but the moment he entered your house, he was unstoppable. And then your mom opened the door to the yard…” 

“Two birds with one stone. As expected of you, Chisato.” Kaoru wiped her face with the handkerchief she always kept on her person and gave the golden retriever another round of fond petting. “So Leon-kun went off to look for me, is that right? So today was indeed a fateful encounter~”

As usual, Chisato ignored all the flufferies. “Yes. He has always been fond of you, though it sometimes begs the question of why…”

“Well, as the great bard has said, birds of a feather flock together.”

Chisato opened her mouth to say something but decided against it, instead she diverted her attention elsewhere. “You’re… not wearing your usual style...”

“A-ah… funny thing you noticed, little kitten.” Kaoru chuckled bashfully, doing her best to ignore Chisato’s purple gaze. It always intimidated her somehow. “I had no intention of leaving the house today and thus did not think about dressing… up.” Indeed she was wearing a light fare of clothes, a simple white shirt and a pair of summer shorts that she thought fitted the sunny weather they were having. Compared to her, Chisato looked ready to shoot a film in her apricot sundress. She always dressed as if she would be going in front of a camera.

“I see…” The blonde’s regal gaze then wandered towards the instrument in her hand. “Well, forgive Leon for interrupting your practice, Kaoru. We will be leaving as soon as your mother has prepared her return gift.”

“A return gift?”

Chisato nodded and smiled exasperatedly, “I insisted that she didn’t have to worry about it so soon, but she began packing items almost immediately.”

“Oh, it must be the confections she brought home last night. Macarons and dried fruits. Worry not, Chisato, it shan’t take long. However, while waiting, why don’t you play with Leon-kun right here? There’s plenty of space.” Truth be told, Kaoru felt like she shouldn’t have needed to tell her old friend that, as the dog was already running circles around them, sniffing the flowers and digging his nose into the grass in search of little critters. “Just try not to lose his ball in the flower beds. You always carry a ball for him, right?”

“...yes, I do.” It looked like Chisato would have still preferred to leave as soon as possible, but Kaoru did not let the disappointment bury so deeply. After all, she was getting used to her aloofness. Nonetheless, she was a little surprised when her friend sat down next to her under the maple tree and fished a tennis ball out of her purse for Leon to fetch. 

“Ah~ indeed today is a perfect day~ the sun is shining and my princess just looks absolutely radiant! I must have done something of merit lately for fate to be so kind.” 

Chisato audibly scoffed, “Kaoru, you’re supposed to be practicing, remember?” 

“Ah, yes... right. Forgive me, princess, I easily get distracted by your presence.” 

Her companion raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying her words at all. “Then perhaps it is indeed more prudent if Leon and I take our leave.”

“Always so sharp and unforgiving~” Kaoru shook her head dramatically, “There is no need for such drastic measures! I shall focus on my task, I promise.” 

Chisato’s eyes flitted to her face then back on the ball in her hand as if that was the most interesting object in the world. Then, after a few thoughtful breaths, she relented, “You’ve always been good with promises. Very well. Leon!” 

The dog’s ears perked up and he barked excitedly as he spotted the ball fly from his owner’s hands. Like an arrow, Leon shot after the neon green projectile towards the opposite side of the yard. Kaoru smiled as she tucked the guitar securely on her lap, reminded of when they were much younger and smaller, during the time when Chisato did not have a Golden Retriever but her mother’s old Spaniel to play with. They used to sit on the patio deck like this during the summer, with ice cold juice not too far away, and soiled flip-flops below their feet. Sometimes either one of their mothers would come over to wipe their faces to get rid of sweat or give them snacks. Kaoru would read her adventure storybooks while Chisato endlessly played with the dog. She had always been the more active one between the two of them, the one whose fearlessness had earned them a few scolding sessions from their mothers. 

“How fleeting our childhood was…” Kaoru whispered to herself as she busied her fingers on the strings once more. She doubted Chisato heard her as the latter was preoccupied with playing with Leon, but she did not mind. Those days would always be her most important treasures even if they were only forgotten memories to Chisato now. They always made her happy. 

She closed her eyes and let that happiness wash over her. Smiling, Kaoru simply allowed her fingers to work. _Happy notes. Only happy notes now…_ Her thumb plucked an easy rhythm, as steady as the sunbeams, and then her fingers danced over the higher strings like the breeze. The summer sang for her, its warmth and luster and peaceful memories. She thought of the folk guitarists she had enjoyed listening to when she began learning guitar and stepped into their shoes to see how they saw life, love, and happiness. The great bards often saw bliss in their hometowns, in the sparkling strings of their guitar or the eyes of their beloved. She understood them, for she was no different.

For Kaoru, she felt her bliss in the scenery that lied just beyond her close eyelids. The green grass that softly billowed in the gentle wind, the splotches of sunlight that seeped through the rustling leaves of the maple tree, Leon happily trotting with a ball in his mouth, and Chisato’s golden hair and shining purple eyes. 

Smiling, the guitarist began tapping the bass notes of her tune, and using her large fretting hand to tease out of a playful melody. She allowed her heart to soar and simply immerse herself in the beauty of the moment. 

A passing cloud overhead called out to her with its shadow and she opened her eyes. From the corner of her vision, Kaoru watched Chisato throw the ball for Leon one more time, with all the grace and poise of a young woman she barely knew. The brash and brave Chisato of their youth was truly gone, but that was alright for she was smiling now, a ghost of a smile to be certain but a genuine one, and through it Kaoru saw a glimpse of the girl she loved. 

When the last note rang in the yard, Leon was rolling over the soft grass with his tongue lolling on one side, the tennis ball momentarily forgotten next to his head. His tail was wagging languidly now, a sign that he had expended all his excess energy. He was done running around for the day, but was obvious that he would need a bath when he and his owner get home. 

“Is that your band’s new song?” Chisato asked, shifting her weight to prevent a leg from falling asleep. The question was simple, almost distant, but Kaoru could tell that she was truly curious

Kaoru hugged the guitar, “No. Though perhaps it could be.”

“It should,” Chisato insisted gently. “It was a beautiful song. I didn’t know you composed music, Kaoru.” 

Kaoru stared at the ground in front of her, subconsciously curling up in a tangle of long limbs due to her embarrassment from her friend’s truthful compliment. Chisato tended to be cold and aloof when they were in public, but when she was genuine, her voice changes. It becomes softer, albeit higher in pitch, and it was so nostalgic that it practically suffocates Kaoru in both sorrow and joy. 

She swallows the lump in her throat. “I don’t compose.” She clears her throat and pried herself from the ball she had devolved into, trying to look confident. “A-A prince should know how to at least play an instrument! I was just…” She bit her lower lip to consider her words. Many came, most from the quotes book she had kept and added to for years, but they all slipped away from her tongue. None of them sounded right for this moment, this perfect moment in which Chisato was looking at nothing else but her. 

Radiant and beautiful Chisato with her pale golden hair and purple eyes.

Kaoru found herself smiling shyly and saying, “I am just happy, that’s all.”

She looked at Chisato in the eye and watched them widen just a tiny bit, as if they understood, as if they actually believed her. Chisato was the one to avert her gaze first. 

“I’m glad then,” the blonde said as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I think everyone deserves happiness even in the briefest of moments.”

“Happiness can come from many places. As the great bard once said, ‘Happiness is a warm puppy.’”

Leon barked as if to second her statement, while Chisato shook her head and chuckled. “You really are unbelievable, Kaoru.” She stood afterwards and dusted her skirt. “It seems like your mother is done packing. Thank you for letting Leon play here.”

Indeed, when Kaoru turned her gaze towards the door that led in her home, her mother was there waving Chisato over. She sighed, “Our fated time is always so fleeting~ my heart already yearns for the sight of you next time we meet, my dear Chisato.” 

The other girl pressed her lips together in a thin line. Her mask had returned, Kaoru noticed, thick and impenetrable.

“Kaoru…”

“Yes, princess?”

“Underneath all of...whatever this is… your heart is as pure as I remember.” Chisato sounded almost fragile, brittle and about to break, but her resolve was steel. “Please, don’t change that. Never change, Kaoru.”

“Chisato…?”

She wished to inquire about her friend’s thoughts, her feelings and why she sounded so sad, but Kaoru soon found herself surrounded by the golden waterfall of Chisato’s hair when the latter had leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead. “I’m going now. Thank you for letting me hear you, the real you, in this fine day. Leon!” 

“Arf! Arf!”

“W-wait, Chisato!”

“Goodbye, Kaoru,” Chisato warmly smiled at her, her practiced and perfected smile. “Perhaps, you should record your playing. It is a waste to just lose a pretty tune.” 

Suddenly remembering that she was playing all of this for her band, Kaoru immediately looked at her phone where she had been recording all her noodling before Chisato arrived. She hoped that against all odds she managed to record that short song for Misaki and her friends. 

Unfortunately, the phone’s screen was black and none of that was saved. 

Kaoru sighed, “Oh, how fleeting~ now I must recreate it somehow...” 

Chisato was long gone, having disappeared in the house’s door with Leon, leaving her alone under the maple tree in this warm summer Sunday afternoon. On her forehead, the ephemeral kiss lingered, not unlike from the time when Chisato kissed her cheek to stop her from crying over a scraped knee or the threat of ghosts in the darkness. 

She sighed one more time as she rested her back against the tree behind her and chuckled, “Must she be cruel, only to be kind?”

_Farewell, then, fair cruelty._

Indeed today was a perfect day. The sun was on its way to setting and the heat was beginning to subside. The clouds were tinted orange now, sleepily drifting to eternity. The sunflowers have bowed their heads as their sovereign bid farewell. 

And Kaoru… 

She played her guitar until the sun had disappeared into the horizon until she managed to complete a bittersweet, nostalgic tune.

**Author's Note:**

> It ended up more introspective than plot-driven. Who am I kidding? It didn't really have a plot, did it? Hopefully you still enjoyed reading this small piece. The dynamics between Kaoru and Chisato endlessly intrigues me. They are first introduced to the typical player as the idiot poser and the icy snark queen, but gradually you learn they are so much more than that. Furthermore, their relationship is so interesting that they have become a favorite of mine from the start. This is my first baby-step in trying to understand them, and I hope to write more about them in the future. 
> 
> For those curious about what Kaoru could possibly be playing here, I was looping "Boating in the Clouds" by Ferenc Hegedus (?) and "Rylynn" by Andy Mckee.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading. Feedback would be greatly appreciated.


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